Shoe sole former



Oct. 16, 1951 w. H. DOHERTY 7 SHOE SOLE FORMER Filed Feb. 1, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEETl 15 I qIl.

INVENTOR; williamfi DokeW I flfiorne 5 Oct. 16, 1951 w, DOHERTY 2,571,547

SHOE SOLE FORMER Filed Feb. 1, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 ,Jyltol n efs Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE 2,571,547 I SHOE SOLE FORMER William H. Doherty, izliiihu stjy. Application February 1, 1949, 'seria1"N0.vs;ess 10 Claims. (01." 18 34) This invention .relatesto new and useful improvements in a device for forming plastic or composition soles on shoes and has especial ref erence to a novel form of mold therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide a-mold device which can be quickly and easily attached to and removed from the shoe, and which is composed of a few simple parts, and is economical and efiicient to operate.

A further object isto provide a mold which can be readily adapted to be associated accurately with any shape of shoe to form a mold for any shape or size of sole, and which requires no particular professional'skill in its operation.

Further and more specific objects, features, and advantages will more clearly appear from a consideration of the detailed specification hereinafter set forth especially when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred form which the invention may assume and which form part of the specification.

Inbrief and general terms, the invention concerns the provision of flexible mold-bands around the sides of the welt of a shoe to which a sole is to be attached in any suitable manner. These bands fit snugly around the welt and extend along their bottom edge below said welt to form therewith a mold cavity into which the material forming the sole is disposed. This material may be fluidor viscous and is later treated in any desired manner to connectit with the inner sole and welt. At the sides of the shoe intermediate its length, are disposed gripping means which are adjustable to engage the sides of the shoe at the welt level and aid in clamping the moldbands in position. The vertical level of the bottom edge of the'mold-band is determined by a plurality of clips, which engage the bottom edge of the band and are disposed along the welt and held in this position by a flexible element such as a wire, which is adjustably related to the shoe either by'being connected to the shoe gripping means or by other suitable means.

The present preferred forms which the invention may assume are shown in the drawings, of which:

"Fig. l' is an inverted plan View of the mold inside the shoe; 4

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof in upright position;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-?- of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of a modified form'of the mold;

Fig. 5. is a side elevation ofthemodified form innprightposition;

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on theline 6-6 of Fig; 5;

Fig. flis a perspective view of a wire guiding clip; and

Fig. 8 is a partial' sectional view through-the shoeshowing a modified form of clip for holding themold-bandin'place.

Referring now merely to the specific forms of the invention shown in..the drawings, it is -.to be noted with respect to Figures 1, 2 and 3 which show thewpreferred form, that the purpose of this invention is to enable aplastic or composition sole to be readily applied to a shoe, of-which the upper iBand the inner sole and welt portion ll are clearly shown. A shoe tree or last 12 of any'suitable typeisinserted in-the shoe to hold it firmly in proper shape.

'As shown'in the drawings, amold-band l3'is disposedaround the edges of thewelt H as particularly seen in Figure 3, with a major portion of the band extending below the welt to form a mold cavity with the welt and the inner-sole into which plastic material; either in viscous or fluid form, may, be'disposed and then by suitable treatment, can be allowed to set into proper-shape in firm association-with the inner'soleand welt ll.

In the form shown in Figures 1, 2' and 3,,the band is comprised of'two' pieces which are connected at. adjacent ends by a rivet'M and 'are disconnected at their other adjacent ends. This band is disposed around-the welt and is engaged at'the sides of the shoe-by gripping members or'supporting blocks I5. These blocks are connected at their top by framemembers l6 extending across the top of the shoe and at the bottom, are connected by a bar I? having ascrew l8 at one end ;to be operated topull the blocks l5 together against the sides of the shoe. The adjusting'bar I! is pivoted on abracket 9 "at one end and passes :througha bracket '29 at the other, the brackets being connected respectively to the blocks 1-5. p

In order to determine the vertical level of the bottom edge of the mold-band I3, I provide a seriesof clips 2! which have upper portions resting on the welt and lower portions bent under the lower band 13. These clips 2| are heldrion the welt by means of a flexible elementor wire 22, as-shown in'the-first three. figures. This wire at one end is connected to a band. pref-. erably'lof metalypassing' around the heel: porionof the shoe, the other. end': of this band being.

connected to one of the blocks IS. The wire passes through apertures in the blocks and at the free end, is connected to a handle portion 24, whereby the operator may pull on the wire to tighten its engagement with the clips. This wire 22 extends along around the shoe just above the welt. A set screw 25 on one of the blocks Hi can be adjusted to clamp the free end of the wire in any adjusted position.

The inner faces of the blocks l5 are curved as shown at 26, to conform to the shape of the shoe at the intermediate side portions thereof. Curved levers 21 are pivoted on the blocks in suitable slots therein and adapted to be moved into engagement with the mold-band to press these portions of the bands against the shoe. Set screws 28 enable these levers to be held in adjusted position. A filler block 29 of two pieces, is separated by a spring 30 and suitably formed may be disposed against the inner sole between the blocks IS in case it is desired to mold the front portion of the sole and the heel separately. These filler plates may also be put in after the sole is formed for the purpose of building up the heel and separating the sole portion from the heel portion.

As shown in the first three figures, the blocks I5 are provided with slotted brackets 3| through which certain free portions of the mold-band may extend in a rather tight fitting manner.

In the operation of this form of the device, the blocks [5 are disposed adjacent the side of the shoe with the band [3 disposed around the welt and held in vertical disposition by the clips 2|. The blocks are held tightly in osition against the shoe to clamp the band by tightening up on the screw l8, then the handle on the wire 22 is pulled to tighten the wire around the welt and the set screw 25 is then tightened up to hold the wire in this position. The material is then placed in the mold in any suitable manner and treated to connect it to the sole and welt in any desired manner. The filler plates 29 may or may not be used depending upon the particular requirements at the moment. It is obvious that it is a relatively simple matter to attach this mold device and to remove it.

In the forms shown in Figures 4 to 8, we have the same general construction except that instead of the blocks 15, we now have posts 32 extending up alongside of the shoe and adjustable by means of slotted bracket plates 33 to press against the shoe and hold the band [3 in position. In this case as before, the band at one portion is connected to the post and the other ends are free. In this case, the band also extends around the heel as well as the sole portion. The wire 22 in this form, is also provided but is connected somewhat differently, in that its free ends are connected to metal plates 34, which are connected around the back of the shoe by an elastic band 35 which extends around the back of the heel and the back of the upper in the manner shown, and exerts a constant pull on the wire. The wire 22, as before, passes through openings in plates 36 connected to the upper end of the post 32. The bands on each side thereof intermediate the length of the shoe, are provided with adjustable guide plates 31 pivoted to the bands but rather tightly so and provided with an offset portion 38 having spaced grooves 39 therein, to receive the wire and hold it in a spaced relation with respect to the post 32 and the welt.

In this 'form also, the clips employed, may be of the form shown in Figure 8, in which the upper end is slotted as at 40 and is bent reversely on it-* self extending through said slot and having a hooked end 4| to engage the wire 22.

It is perfectly obvious that in either form of the invention shown, the mold device and its related parts can be adapted to the shoe very quickly and easily and form a practical, eflicient mold.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to the preferred form shown in the drawings, it is not to be limited to such details and forms since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence, it is intended to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention, is:

1. In a mold apparatus for forming soles on shoes having a connected upper and welt the improvement which includes adjustable means to grip the sides of the shoes, a flexible mold band adapted to extend along and below the sides of the welt to form a mold cavity therewith, and clamping means on the shOe gripping means, said band being located between the welt and the shoe gripping means and said clamping means adapted to position snugly the mold band against the sides of the welt.

2. In a mold apparatus for forming soles on shoes having a connected upper and welt the improvement which includes supports adjustable at the sides of the shoe to grip the same along the line of the welt, a flexible mold-band adapted to extend along the sides of the welt and below the same to form a mold cavity therewith, clips adapted to extend along the welt engaging the bottom of the band to hold it in a vertical relation to the welt, and a flexible element engaging the clips to hold them in position said connector adapted to extend along the upper edge of the welt and adjustably connected to said supports.

3. In a mold apparatus for forming soles on shoes having a connected upper and welt the improvement which includes, a mold-band adapted to extend around the welt and below the same, clips to support the bottom edge of the band, and a flexible element adapted to extend around the welt and engaging saidwclips to hold them in position with respect to the band and the welt.

4. In a mold apparatus for forming soles on shoes having a connected upper and Welt the improvement which includes, a mold band adapted to extend around the welt and below the same, blocks adjustable against the sides of the welt to hold the band tightly in position, levers on said blocks to clamp against the band, a wire adapted to extend around the welt and adjustably connected to said blocks, and clips engaging the bottom of the band and supported by said wire.

5. In a mold apparatus for forming soles on shoes having a connected upper and Welt the improvement which includes, a mold band adapted to extend around the welt and below the same, clips engaging the bottom of the band to hold it in position, and a wire adapted to extend around the welt and supporting said clips.

6. In a mold apparatus for forming soles on shoes having a connected upper and welt the improvement which includes, a mold-band adapted to extend around the welt and below the same, forming blocks adjustable against the sides of the shoe to hold the band thereagainst, means connecting the blocks to adjust their pressure improvement which 5 against the sides of the shoe, and levers on the blocks adjustable against the band at the sides of the Welt.

7. In a mold apparatus for forming soles on shoes having a connected upper and welt the includes a mold-band adapted to extend around the welt and below the same, forming blocks adjustable against the sides of the shoe to hold the band thereagainst, means connecting the blocks to adjust their pressure against the sides of the shoe, levers on the blocks adjustable against the band at the sides of the welt, a metal band adapted to extend around the rear portion of the shoe, a wire connector connected to the metal band adjustable on the blocks and adapted to extend around the shoe along the top of the Welt, and clips supported by said Wire and engaging the bottom of the band at spaced points to maintain the level of the lower edge of the band.

8. In a mold apparatus for forming soles on shoes having a connected upper and welt the improvement which includes a mold-band adapted to extend around the welt and below the same, forming blocks adjustable against the sides of the shoe to hold the band thereagainst, means connecting the blocks to adjust their pressure against the sides of the shoe, curved levers pivoted on the blocks and adjustable against the band at the sides of the welt, a wire connector adjustable on the blocks and adapted to extend around the shoe along the top of the front of the welt, clips supported by said wire and engaging the bottom of the band at spaced points to maintain the level of the lower edge of the band, a metal strip adapted to extend around the heel portion of the shoe and connected to one end of said wire, the other end of the strip connected to one of said blocks, the other end of the wire extending through said last mentioned block, and means on said block to clamp said Wire in adjusted condition thereon.

9. In a mold apparatus for forming soles on shoes having a connected upper and welt the improvement which includes a mold band adapted to extend around the weltand with its bottom edge below the same, sole gripping posts adapted to be adjustably disposed on the opposite sides of the welt, means for adjusting said posts against the welt, clips adapted to extend around the welt and engaging the bottom of the band, a flexible connector engaging the clips and supported on said posts, an elastic device adapted to pass around the back of the heel and the shoe, the ends of said connector being joined to the elastic device and exerting tension thereon.

10. In a mold apparatus for forming soles on shoes having a connected upper and welt the improvement which includes a mold band adapted to extend around the welt and with its bottom edge below the same, sole gripping posts adapted to be adjustably disposed on the opposite sides of the welt, means for adjusting said posts against the welt, clips adapted to extend around the welt and engaging the bottom of the band, a flexible connector engaging the clips and supported on said posts, an elastic device adapted to pass around the back of the heel and the shoe, the ends of said connector bein joined to the elastic device and exerting tension thereon, and a connector guide plate pivoted to the band on opposite sides thereof adjacent the posts and having a series of grooves therein to selectively guide the wire passing therethrough.

WILLIAM H. DOHERTY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,330,989 Nevills Oct. 5, 1943 2,406,005 Doherty Aug. 20, 1946 2,406,359 Doherty Aug. 2'7, 1946 1'11""???7'T? 

